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Essay structures are formalizations of logical processes that work well in specific circumstances. The five-paragraph essay is a common structure in English, while comparison and contrast essays are common for younger students. Specific disciplines may have their own appropriate essay structures. Understanding the purpose of each paragraph is important, and different cultures have different rhetorical strategies and traditions.
There are several types of general essay structures and many other types that are formally tied to specific disciplines. Essay structures are simply formalizations of logical processes that tend to work well in specific circumstances. As such, they often take the form of the type of argument being made, such as compare and contrast or chronological explanation. Different languages also have different traditional essay structures, although logic styles are typically similar in most academic settings regardless of language.
One of the most common types of essay structures in English is the so-called five-paragraph essay. This type of essay includes an introductory paragraph setting out the thesis, three paragraphs making points about that thesis, and a closing paragraph summarizing the argument that has been made. Variations on this structure may include a different number of paragraphs or may create multiple topics to add up to a single full point. Depending on the length of the essay, it is sometimes important to restate how the point being made relates to the thesis of the essay.
Another common type of structure for essays involves comparison and contrast. This type of essay is also often in the standard five-paragraph form, but may use paragraphs to break down the different aspects that are being compared and contrasted. Essays of this type are very common for younger students but become increasingly rare in college.
In specific disciplines, there are sometimes additional essay structures that are considered appropriate to the subject. This is especially true in the sciences, where the data often has to speak for itself. The components that must combine to form a logical argument in the sciences are often very different than in the social sciences, and it is important to ensure that a thorough and coherent discussion is made.
Essay outlines are almost always expansions on logical arguments. This means that any logical argument that can be expressed in prose can form the skeleton of an essay. It’s important to understand the purpose of each paragraph, and many people can see the structure of an essay more easily when each paragraph is broken down into a sentence outline.
Since different cultures have different rhetorical strategies and traditions, the structure of the essay can be very different between languages. In general, there is usually at least one structure that is considered acceptable by a country’s academic institutions. Learning essay structures in a foreign language can be difficult, but reading essays in the target language can help identify what the underlying structure might be.
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